What Lies Beyond the Gate
by Auto-mail Alchemist
Summary: The flow of blood in the heart is just like the flow life in the Gate: If it leaks, or is backtracked, it starts to make the world in the Gate's case suffer. [Read & Review] [CHAPTER FOUR UP!]
1. Prologue

What Lies Beyond the Gate

_What really lies beyond the Gate is only known to few alchemist..._

**!DISCLAIMER! - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of it's characters, storylines, and whatnot. If I did, I wouldn't be writing a FANFIC, now would I?**

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The heart is arguably the most vital organ in the body. With out this organ the body could not live. Yes, the mind is important to function properly but it is the heart that keeps the body alive, it is the heart that controls the life that flows through out the body. When something happens to the heart, the entire body will suffer. If something goes wrong with the flow of life then body will begin to wither away.

Perhaps that's way the Gate can be compared to the human heart. Like the heart the Gate posses no emotions, though at times we like to pretend it does. The Gate controls the flow of alchemical power. Even when you get close to it you can feel the pulsating flow of power. A heart? It could very well be.

Of course the Gate is still a gate; it separates one thing from another. A barrier of sorts. Keeping two worlds apart from one another. Could it be that this separation is what is keeping them alive? Could it be that the gate is the heart of these two worlds, beating, pulsating the flow of power between them? Keeping them alive while at times we curse it's very existence? Could it be that the thing we try to get the best of, is actually what is keeping us in existence?

If you work your heart too hard, it begins to shut down. If something goes wrong, it stops working properly. You have to be quick when this happens, you have to know the warning signs and understand what to do if you want to survive. If you don't, then you won't make it. Something is wrong with the Gate, was it something I did or something that we as a human race did? How much time do we have, be these worlds wither away? Can we even save them?

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There are two types of people: The Emphasizors and the Complicators.

EMPHASIZORS tend to make things sound much easier than they should. For example, an alchemist, who's never tried to bypass the law of Equivalent Trade, comes up to you and says, "Alchemy is just like magic, it's as simple as one - two - three!" obviously is an Emphasizor.

COMPLICATORS, on the other hand, are those who make things sound harder to achieve or perform. Examples like this: an **experienced** alchemist comes up to you and you're a beginner alchemist. You look up at him and he looks back at you. You start to ask him, "What is alchemy, really?"

He cocks an eyebrow at you and laughs. You pout to yourself as he regains composure. He straightens himself out and looks at you, while clearing his throat. "Alchemy is a science..." And babbles on for hours on that one topic, naming each and every aspect of it, what you should and should not do, how to perform it, what is needed, this, that, and the other, too.

Your brain cells are dying from his impetitive speach and your ears are throbbing. You have a migrane and you feel like crawling in a hole and dying alone. He never seems to shut up. That, my friend, is an example of a Complicator.

Everyone takes a place in one or the other, or both, categories. If you're like me, then you're a complicator. You complicate things to the max, for you KNOW, and UNDERSTAND it all. You DO know every aspect of alchemy. You DO know the principles and laws for alchemy. You know all this for you have seen the GATE...multiple times. The first time, however, your mind was filled with knowledge of an expert, such as your father, well...my father.

But I'm not one who's really gonna go indepth in that right now. I need to further explain other things first, before I begin with our story.

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First off, I'll start with my name. My name is Edward Elric. Until recently, I lived in a completely different world. Now, I live with my brother, Alphonse, and we're traveling in serach of maybe another way to get home. That is, we WERE searching. Now we have one, but it'll cost us dear, for there is a backflow in the Gate now, and it's causing our home world and this world we're currently residing in a hell of a lot of trouble.

The only bad thing is, I need to figure it out and fix it, for I was the one to make it happen.

I only hope, that Al and I can set things straight before all chaos is let loose!

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_**A/N: **Well. I think this is going good. Ed's the character talking, but only for this part. The rest shall be said in third person form._

_Well, I do have much to explain. In the next chapter, I'm switching POV, just for a while, to Al's. He's going to explain the last few things, then it's going to full blown chapters._

_Enjoy. Please, I beg of you, PLEASE Review!_


	2. Chapter 1: Problems with the Gate

What Lies Beyond the Gate 

_We, at one time, did not know anything of Alchemy, but as we progressed one about mom's death…we came to know a lot more than needed… _

**!DISCLAIMER! – I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though…I really wish I did! ;.;

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Chapter One – Problems with the Flow of Life; The Gate 

As Ed said earlier, there are two types of people. The Complicators-those who complicate things to the max-and, the Emphasizors-those who emphasize, or make things seem easier than they really are. But there is much more to it than just complicating and emphasizing things. We, as a human race, did not create ourselves.

Neither did the so-called God. We evolved through-out the years from primates to…humans. But, where do you think primates came from? The Gate. That is our only answer. The Gate's flow of life is keeping us alive still today. So far, not a single alchemist knows how, or why, the Gate was created. All the Gate does is make us repeat ourselves a hundred or so times.

But, how is alchemy involved? Simple. Through the Gate is a parallel world that me, Alphonse Elric, and my brother, Edward Elric, live in as of right now. However, we cannot determine whether or not alchemy will suddenly make us…shall I say, incomplete?

My brother and I suffered from the Gate, for we did something truly forbidden, and though I'm finally back to normal, my brother still suffers the incapability of having his own limbs. He only has two REAL limbs and two metal prosthetics; we call it auto-mail.

Though we know the Gate exists, we have never TRULY felt its power. But now, as the two worlds it binds together is in deep trouble (Which might I add was Ed's fault…), Ed and I have to close the Gate, for it will destroy us all if it continues the way it is.

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(A/N: I'm in THIRD PERSON mode now, just to let you know.)

Staring into the deep tunnel of bright and brilliant shades of gold and yellow, he shaded his eyes with one hand, as a heavy gust of wind shot at him. He didn't budge, though his long, brown coat went whipping around, twisting and flapping, making sounds, that of a flag in the wind would.

It was indeed a sigh now human would want to see happen, though he had seen it one too many times for it to be 'unbelievable'. However, if you would ask this man what his past life was like, he would most likely turn and walk away without a word. It was a horrible and tragic past, one that he could never forget, whether you wiped his memories away a thousand times or not.

Standing before the two iron doors when he was just 9 years of age was a great deal of horror, for what reached out of those doors was nothing more than falsely created humans awaiting to be born. Those creatures had put a deep grip on his body, holding him in place so he couldn't move. However, he could still move. He fought those monsters as he reached for his brother.

_But it was too late._

_Too late for him and too late for his brother._

_Or was it?_

Who was this man standing before the Gate, in old-style clothes consisting of a white shirt, brown vest, and black pants with a belt to hold them up, and black shoes, all hidden beneath a brown long coat? He was undoubtedly the prodigy alchemist from the Alpha world known as the Hagaren world; he was Edward Elric.

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He took one step closer to the iron frame that the Gate had been created in. He still shaded is eyes as another, younger silhouette of a boy appeared behind him. "Brother! Don't!" He shouted. He as scared as Ed was, but Ed seemed to blow it all over as a side effect from the Gate.

"No, Al. Something's wrong with the Gate. We need to fix it here and now!" Shouted the man, taking off his brown coat, only to have it go flying away from the intense winds blowing. His foot slipped and he skidded back a few inches, but he soon regained his footing and continued to move forward.

Edward latched himself to a pole and held on tight. The winds were getting too harsh for him to be able to move much farther. He would have to be launched up into the Gate and close it from the other side.

_These winds…I'll never make it through like this. I'll have to…damn…that's right-no alchemy on this side o the Gate,_ thought Edward. "Fine. I'll use that prototype rocket. It's barely ready to be launched, but I'm sure I can make it." Ed said to himself. Letting go of the pole, he let the winds push him back as he tumbled back to Alphonse, the younger of the two.

"Come on, Al. We're gonna launch that prototype I built." Ed said looking up from the ground. He was lying on his back looking up at a sweat-dropping Alphonse.

"Okay brother." Al said in response, holding out his hand to help the blonde boy up. Ed's golden eyes reflected upon the Gate and he and Al turned to the Rocket Launcher.

The rocket Ed spoke of was already in place. Ed set the timer for when it was to launch and he hopped in the driver's seat, right in front of Al who sat in the passenger's seat. "Ready?" Ed asked. Al nodded and buckled up. Ed did the same and the timer rang. Ed pulled on the handle to shut the rocket's over-roof–which was a window-like roof that fell down upon the driver and passenger, to protect and keep them safe.

It clicked shut and Ed pulled another handle to release the brakes and the rocket was launched into air. Ed set the rocket's engines to start up as soon as they hit around the upper balcony of the building they were in and as Ed set it, he pulled the engine-igniter and the rocket's flared up and sped up through the air quickly, entering upon the Gate's interior.

Ed and Al were frowning for they were both unable to see what was going on. But stayed calm, cool and collective as they made it through the Gate, them unharmed, but the rocket plane–they could not say the same for.

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**_A/N:_**_ So, that would be chapter one. It was two FULL pages a forth of one on Microsoft Word. I typed all this up during the night shift of work, so don't get angry if it's a little…bad. I tried my best and that is ALL that counts, right? _

_-Smiles- I do have a dedication, however. It's to me friend Dunamis, who on Gaia Online, in my guild, Fullmetal Alchemist: A New Rising…, is our Roy Mustang role-player. _


	3. Chapter 2: That Which is Lost

What Lies Beyond the Gate

_Truth be told, the Gate is the source of ALL life on Earth..._

**!DISCLAIMER! - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characters, storylines, and whatnot. If I did, I wouldn't be writing a FANFIC, now would I?

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Chapter Two – That Which is Lost…

The plane was in horrible condition when Ed and Al came crashing down upon the open Earth. It seemed they liked to attract attention for people saw the bright light of the Gate and crowded the crash site. The Gate, one by one, released the black flesh-eating hands and little by little ate away the crowd. All the while, Ed and Al jumped out of the plane and rushed the remaining folks away.

Women screamed, children cried and men protected their wives and their lives. The Gate's backflow was starting to affect this world! Suddenly, an explosion sounded and everyone was silent. All, except for Ed who shuddered in fear. The Gate...it had just suddenly showed itself to Ed, and only him. Al looking to where Ed was looking at...but saw nothing. "Brother? What's wrong?" Al asked.

Ed shivered and scooted as far as he could away from the iron doors before him. Why was he so scared? He's faced the Gate so many times...

Why? Ed stood up and realized exactly what it was coming for. "Al...Get these people as far away as possible...right now..." Ed said. Al just stood there, dumbfounded and confused. But knowing Ed as well as he did, he nodded and obeyed his orders. Al got on an old, large rock and cupped his hands around his mouth.

As thoughts started to taunt him, Al quickly got the announcement out to the folks. "Everyone! Listen, please! I have to make this announcement! My brother is going to do something that requires all of you to get to safety…so I'm in charge of getting you to a safe distance!" He shouted. Sure, he knew, briefly, what Ed was going to do: sacrifice himself to the Gate in exchange for this world's safe continuation.

The people Al made the announcement to be questioning him. Al shook his head, and then sighed. "Please, hurry and follow me!" Al said, but before he left, he turned to his brother and tears streaked the thin layer of dirt that covered his face. Ed just stared at the Gate. "Are…are you sure? I mean…I could help you…" Al said to his brother. Sure, he couldn't see the Gate, but he very well knew that it was right there, if his brother could see it.

Ed didn't respond. He didn't move. His golden eyes shown with deep determination. "Brother…NO! I won't let you do this alone." He said and Ed finally moved and turned to him.

"Why?" Ed asked. "What's the point of helping me when you know the Gate will do as it did before?" Ed said. Ed was obviously referring to the first time they had an encounter with the Gate. Al was hurt from that.

"Brother, I…" Al was silenced by Ed's hand. Ed raised it for Al to be quiet. Still looking into the Gate, Ed started t walk to it.

"Al, get them to safety and quick!" Ed said. Al just nodded, more tears streaking and trickling down his face. Hot, salty tears…

Al turned to the townspeople and yelled for them to start following him. The people saw a bright light attack them and they started to follow. No longer questioning Al or his brother, Edward.

_I hope this works,_ thought Ed, briefly,_ because I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to see Al or anyone else again. _Ed sighed and looked at Al who was around 500 feet away or so. "That should be a safe enough distance for the Gate to open up completely." Said he.

Al looked over his shoulder at his brother as heavy winds kicked up dirt and sand, sending it into a whirlwind of desert horror. "That which is lost…" started Al, "…can never be regained." He finished and shook the thoughts that had continuously been haunting him away and continued to forcibly make his way through the sandy storm. It was proof enough for Al that the Gate was really there when the storm kicked up. It was the Gate that had been the cause of this wreckage, and Al really wished he could have somehow helped.

Ed looked over at Al once more. He then lipped the words; _'Take care of Winrii…'_ to Al and upon sensing something, Al looked over and smiled.

Ed focused back into the Gate's depths. Ed reached inside and said aloud to the Gate, "Take me for I shall be their sacrifice." He meant, he was the people's sacrifice. The world's sacrifice. Long, black arms stretched to Ed's body and Ed was pulled into the depths and the Gates closed. The slamming of the Gates closing alerted Al and he turned and saw nothing.

His brother…

Was gone…

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"Will you ever come back, brother?" Al asked. "Or will you simply ignore this world to keep it safe when in reality, we need YOU most of all?" Sighing, Al told the towns folks to go find their homes and get a good nights rest. Meanwhile, Al had other plans for the night.

Part of it to find a way to get his brother back. The other part to go home to Winrii's.

The dust and sand settled back to the ground soon after and people parted to their homes. Al, on the other hand, was running quickly to his childhood friend's house, down in Resembool, knowing it would take quite some time to get there.

Coming across the old train station of the town they were in, Al looked around for any signs of use. It seemed abandoned. _Good,_ he thought, _I'll stay here for the night and continue to Winrii's tomorrow._

And as Al thought, he jumped up, onto the platform, and went into the station. Clapping his hands, Al then placed them onto the ground and made a small bed for him to sleep on. Though many thoughts were crowding his mind, Al managed to fight it and managed to find a way into sleep.

The next morning, Al felt very refreshed. Though, as soon as he came out of sleeping, those thoughts from the night before rushed back, Al managed.

"I wonder how brother is doing." Al asked himself. But he shook his head again to clear those evil thoughts.

"I best be getting to Winrii's," said Al, again, "I'll worry about Ed later…"

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_That Which is Lost is forever gained, yet, you can't regain what is gone for it is forever lost..._

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_**A/N:** Well, there's your next chapter of 'What Lies Beyond the Gate'. I hope it was good enough. Once again, it took around 2 or so pages in Microsoft Word. To me, that's better that what I usually do. Wow…my hand's cramping up too…_


	4. Chapter 3: Train Station Heist

What Lies Beyond the Gate

_Long live the life of an alchemist...but never let your guard down...not even a single second..._

**!DISCLAIMER! - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of it's characters, storylines, and whatnot. I would NOT be writing this fic if I did...would I?

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Chapter Three – Train Station Heist

Al found it easy to get a train ticket for a train to Resembool. He had to make sure he went and saw Winrii, so that….that maybe she could help with his plan.

Al sighed. He was undoubtedly still tired. Why? Maybe from the lack of sleep from the night before? Sleeping on an old concrete bed made by alchemy wasn't the softest thing to sleep on. Oh well. He'd have to deal with it for now.

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-Meanwhile, on the other side of the Gate-

Ed stumbled upon a door and leaned on its door frame. He had to get to his house…but he felt too weak. Going through the Gate, nothing protecting you except for the clothes on your back, can really wear you out. Ed's knees buckled and he dropped to the ground. His clothes were hanging loosely around him. Had he shrunk? No… He was just imaginating that.

But Ed still cursed. He curse at his weakened body for being so… weak! Propping himself up against the wall, Ed once again tried to make his way out of building he was in.

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-Back to Al, in the Hagaren world-

A swift shadow moved about the station and Al looked around cautiously, watching every corner of the station. Being in a town he never had been in before, he had to watch himself. "Who are you? What is it that you want?" Al demanded answers. Being alone, Al needed to be strong like his brother normally was.

The shadow stopped in front of Al and snatched the ticket. It was a kid! A mere child! Al growled to himself and ran after the kid, anxious to get his ticket back BEFORE the train left.

"Come on! Gimme back my train ticket!" He shouted. But Al decided to use his own method of capture: alchemy. Clapping his hands, though normally he wouldn't be able to do that in the other world, beyond the Gate, he did and touched the ground. The kid ran as he snickered and laughed at the fallen behind Alphonse Elric.

A blue light flared and a large cemented hand sprung up from the ground and grabbed a hold onto the boy's body. Running up to the boy, Al held out his hand and the boy released the ticket. "I'm SORRY! Please! Lemme go!" The boy cried and Al clapped his hands and touched the large cement hand and it disappeared.

The boy scrambled away in fear of the alchemist. "Yeah…I'm sorry too…"

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_**A/N: **This will be the SHORTEST chapter you'll ever see me give to you. I was in a hurry to update, so I did. Now...I have to work again...damn paperwork... ... ...yeah..._

_Review if you'd like...I'm not forcin' ya!_


	5. Chapter 4: If Everyone Cared

_"If everyone cared, and nobody cried._

_If everyone loved, and nobody lied._

_If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,_

_Then we'd see the day that nobody died."_

_- 'If Everyone Cared' by Nickelback_

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Chapter Four - If Everyone Cared...

Al had boarded the 9:00 AM train and was half-way there to Resembool. But besides the fact that he was tired, and that his mind was full of pointless thoughts, he kept thinking about his brother. He felt that he was cause of this. He felt that he was the reason Ed was gone. But he wasn't. But his body wouldn't agree. _Oh, well..._, he thought, _I'll just have to settle at Granny and Winrii's for a bit before I start my plan up._

-Around an Hour Later-

Al awoke to the sudden jerk of the trains' wheels screeching to a halt on the iron bars that kept them in line. Sparks flew from the iron to iron rubbing. An ear throbbing sound was easily heard as the train slowed to a stop at the local Risembool train station. Al remembered how Ed would roll right into the table from sleeping and he would wake up from getting his smashed in from the hard blow of flesh to wood. Al cringed at the thought.

Stretching slightly, Al stood slowly to his feet and yawned. Looking up, he reached up for the traveling trunk he had thought to have put up there. It appeared to be missing. He then hit his hand to his forehead and sighed heavily. He was losing it. He desperately needed some sleep, or so he thought. He was just a bit weary from the loss of his brother. Though he knew Edward was still alive, he wasn't sure if he was in good condition and was being treated rightly if he wasn't.

He shook his head of the thoughts. He needed something to clear his head. But he had no clue where or what to do. So he settled with just visiting Granny and Winrii for a bit. "I wonder how Den is..."

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-Munich, Germany 1931- 

"Another one!" A man cried out. "Come on child, we need to get to safety!" He yelled to small boy standing near a brick fireplace, looking into a mirror. It was obvious the kid knew what was going on, but he didn't want to leave.

"No, sir...I think I'll stay here." The boy said smiling. The man shook his head and ran up to the kid, grabbing him by the right arm and pulling him quickly away.

"Are you crazy? You'll die!" The kid nodded as if he wanted that to happen. "You're...not yourself...who are you...?" Said the man.

"I'm...me." Was all the kid said when the man shook his head and looked into the boy's light brown eyes.

"Ed..." Was all the man said when the alarms began ringing loudly. It was the zepplin alert. A zepplin was heading straight for the house they were in. The man looked up, then at the boy. The man smiled and hugged the boy as he hugged back, then once they parted, the man ran off as the boy looked up.

"Yep." said he, as the whistling of the bomb sounded closer. The boy's light brown eyes flickered and all was over as soon as the explosion was heard. He was dead.

-About three days later-

The man stood at the foot of the grave marked, "Edward Ehrlich". Not a tear was seen in this man's eyes. He spoke, "That's the third time you've died." Of course, what he meant was that everytime he met up with an Edward that reminded him of his own son, he either died or was killed by the zepplin. "I'm sorry, Edward." He said. Suddenly, a hand was felt on his shoulder.

"I thought you died when you made Envy kill you." A voice came out. It was Edward Elric.

"Edward!" The man turned around quickly.

"Hey, dad." Ed said to the man.

The man's name was Hohenheim Elric, or the Hohenheim of Light.

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-Back with Alphonse Elric in the Hagaren World- 

Al stood afoot the door of the Rockbell residence. All he could think of was, _Should I burden them with this? Or not?_ He decided other. Turning to step away and start walking, he felt the presence of another human. "Winrii?" He said turning around and looking at the now open door.

A beautiful girl who stood about 165 cm, or around 5'4" or so, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes stood there, a smile plastered onto her face. "Welcome home, Al!" Her smile only continued to grow. She poked her head out further to see if anyone was with Al, but saw no one. "Where's Ed?" Winrii asked. Her expression softened and dulled to a worried look as she studied Al's facial expression. His face read nothing but sadness and depression. She could tell he wasn't coming home any time soon.

"He's away." Said Al walking past Winrii and a stinging, wet tear formed at the side of his eyes, falling gently down his pale skin onto the hard wooden floor. Winrii swiftly turned and stood there quietly. She knew it. Edward, in her mind, wasn't able to make it through. She could only guess how Al was feeling.

"Alphonse?" She started. "I'm...sorry..." She said running and falling into Al's arms as he turned to face her. Al didn't expect this and flinched unexpectantly. "I'm...sorry...Ed's...gone..." She said in between sobs. Al's body tensed and he himself let a few tear flow.

"Winrii...I cam here to ask you for something. Something that'll get Ed back to this side of the Gate...if..." Al started, looking down and away from her.

"...If...? If what?" She looked up at him, her sobs not taking as much breath from her, now.

"If...he's still alive..." Al finished and let himself take in the comfort of Winrii's company. "Winrii...will you help me?" Asked Al, unsure if this was the right and true choice.

It had to be...

It felt too right...

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_**A/N: **I hope it was long enough for ya. I tried hard on this chapter and am still currently trying to get another Fic idea out of my head. When you have too many fan fics, it gets hard to update. I don't want that to happen. OwO_

_Other than that, I'll be pausing this story for a bit to catch up the rest of them. Enjoy!_


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